A Japanese man who died at a hotel in Hanoi has tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, raising the total number of infection cases Vietnam to 2,229, the Ministry of Health reported on Monday morning.
Authorities in Hanoi lock down a hotel where the Japanese man was found dead with positive SARS-CoV-2 virus. Photo by Dantri
According to the ministry's report, the 54-year-old man arrived at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City on January 17 to work at Mitsui Vietnam. He was sent to a local quarantine area upon his arrival.
During his stay at a quarantine facility in Tan Binh District, he tested negative for the virus twice on January 17 and 31.
After finishing his quarantine period, the man flew to Hanoi on February 1 and stayed at a hotel in Tay Ho District from February 1-13. During this time he travelled from the hotel to his company.
On February 13, he was found dead at the hotel and subsequent tests later proved he had carried the virus.
The hotel has been locked down and disinfected while local authorities are tracing those who had contact with the deceased Japanese man for monitoring.
With these new infection cases, the number of imported Covid-19 patients in Vietnam has increased to 2,229, including 1,330 locally-transmitted cases with 637 cases reported since the new outbreak started in Hai Duong on January 28.
As of 6 am on February 15, a total of 1,534 Covid-19 patients had recovered and been discharged from hospital. There have been 35 deaths, most of them being the elderly with serious underlying diseases.
At present, as many as 152,690 people who had close contact with Covid-19 patients or returned from virus-hit areas are being monitored at hospitals, quarantine facilities, and at home.
